


Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra, Playing Poker

by sapphose



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Gen, Screenplay/Script Format
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:28:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24555448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphose/pseuds/sapphose
Summary: The senior staff play a game of poker after the events of "Darmok." They discuss and experiment with a new way of communicating.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra, Playing Poker

_ (Troi, Data, Crusher, Worf, Riker, and Geordi playing poker. Only Worf, Troi, and Riker are still in this round. It’s Troi’s turn to bet.) _

**Troi:** Troi and the Ferengi.

**Data:** The Enterprise has had numerous encounters with the Ferengi.

**Crusher:** What about when the Ferengi kidnapped you and your mother?

**Geordi:** What would that have to do with poker?

**Worf:** None of this has anything to do with poker.

**Data:** Perhaps Counselor Troi is referencing emotions she experienced during her time aboard DaiMon Tog’s vessel.

**Geordi:** Scared? Are you scared Riker has a good hand?

**Riker:** I helped our escape with my excellent chess skills. Maybe she’s remembering that and has decided to fold.

_ (Laughing, Troi shakes her head.) _

**Crusher:** Doesn’t seem like it’s that.

**Worf:** I fold.

**Data:** I am compelled to remind you that according to the rules of the game, you must wait for it to be your turn.

**Worf:** I do not have patience for these word games.

**Troi:** It wasn’t a game when Captain Picard was down on the planet’s surface. If the Federation wants to have successful diplomatic relations with the Children of Tama, we need to practice thinking like them. Especially those of us without empathic abilities.

**Geordi:** We need more specifics. A person, or a place.

**Troi:** All right. Troi and the Ferengi… at Barzan II.

**Data:** Three Ferengi were aboard to negotiate access to the Barzan wormhole- DaiMon Goss, Dr. Arridor, and Kol.

**Riker:** I think I showed some skillful negotiating there, too. I still say she folds.

**Geordi:** I don’t think this one is about you, Commander.

**Crusher:** Geordi’s right. It’s about Devinoni Ral. He had that DaiMon threaten to destroy the wormhole, and you called his bluff. That’s what she’s doing! She’s calling his bluff.

**Deanna:** Exactly. Will?

**Riker:** You got me. I was bluffing.

**Worf:** She could have said so directly. A warrior does not waste words.

**Data:** The referential nature of Tamarian speech could be compared to the kenning practiced in Klingon poetry and opera. A warrior referring to Kahless as “sword-bearer, honor-bringer, who will not be forgotten” would be considered wasting words to communicate narrative imagery.

**Worf:** That is different.

**Crusher:** Here, Worf, I have one just for you. “K’mpec speaks to Picard.” Now, what did I just tell you about that prune juice?

**Data:** Former Chancellor K’mpec had many discussions with the captain, including-

**Riker:** Data, why don’t you let Worf take this one?

**Data:** In other words, the river Termac, in winter.

**Geordi:** If anyone aside from the captain is going to have luck talking to these guys, it’s going to be Data. He knows every story there is.

**Data:** That is a kind sentiment, Geordi, but it is not entirely accurate. In fact, while I have a storage capacity of eight hundred quadrillion bits, it is insufficient to contain the symbols and folklore of all known cultures among sapient species.

**Worf:** Poison.

**Riker:** Come again?

**Crusher:** Chancellor K’mpec told Captain Picard that he had been slowly poisoned with Veridium 6.

**Worf:** “K’mpec speaks to Picard” means that someone is attempting to poison me.

**Geordi:** Wasn’t me.

**Data:** I am curious. Was that a joke, or has the prune juice been tampered with?

**Crusher:** Don’t worry, Data. It was only an example.

**Data:** I also wish to offer an example.

**Troi:** Go ahead, Data. We’d love to hear it.

**Data:** The crew play poker.

**Worf:** A game?

**Geordi:** Jokes. Laughter.

**Crusher:** An attempt to deceive.

**Troi:** Seeing through someone’s bluff.

**Worf:** A green table. Cards.

**Riker:** Cheating.

**Crusher:** Who’s cheating?

**Riker:** We have an empath, who can see through people, and a man with a VISOR that can see through the cards.

**Geordi:** Hey, I never do that until after the game is over.

**Troi:** And I can see through your poker face without needing to read your mind.

**Crusher:** You’ll have to teach me how to do that. He cleared me out last week.

**Worf:** Does the message refer to conversation? Talking? Winning?

**Troi:** We need to think about it from Data’s perspective. What would he consider to be most important about the poker game?

**Riker:** Statistical analysis, or probability.

**Crusher:** Something about learning to be human?

**Geordi:** People. People coming together?

**Riker:** Are we getting anywhere near it?

**Data:** Of your responses, Geordi’s has been the closest. I intended for the phrase “the crew play poker” to communicate a sense of togetherness and friendship. Time spent among close companions. An environment of humor, respect, and warmth. Although I do not experience emotions, I greatly value this time spent together.

_ (Beat.) _

**Geordi:** We love you too, Data.


End file.
